Skiing device including two supplemental elements held together by a connecting structure

ABSTRACT

A board ( 1 ) for sliding on snow such as a ski, a monoski or a snowboard, with vertical plane of general symmetry (P), comprising a principal part, known as body or base ( 2 ), having the shape of an elongated beam having its own thickness distribution, contour, width and stiffness, and can be of any type of structure, and which includes a central zone known as of the waist ( 7 ) extended towards the front by a front part ( 8 ) raised at its end to form a tip ( 6 ), and towards the rear by a rear part ( 9 ) terminating in a tail ( 6 ′), including at least two supplemental elements ( 10 ) extending towards the front at least on the front part, to extend the zone of the waist, said supplemental elements including two longitudinal side arms ( 10   a ,  10   b ) disposed laterally relative to the plane “P”, said longitudinal side arms constituting at least a dynamic means for recall of the base, characterized in that the side arms are connected by a transverse connector ( 11 ) including a part independent of the side arms.

The present invention related to a board for sliding on snow such as a ski, a monoski, a snowboard, or the like. It more particularly relates to an improvement relative to a sliding board comprising a base, on which is attached at least one supplemental element, including two fixed side arms.

The practice of sliding sports attracts more and more followers and has evolved greatly these last years with increasingly demanding practitioners regarding the quality of the products. Such is, for example, the case of the snow sliding sports.

One knows already very many models of sliding boards, and in particular of skis, which are made of a beam of elongated form whose front end is raised to constitute the tip, while lower surface includes a sliding sole bordered by metal edges.

Despite all the developmental efforts by the manufacturers to satisfy the customers, there does not exist, to date, any ski bringing together perfectly the comfort of use with satisfactory behavioral characteristics during skiing, whatever the type of terrain, and whoever the user.

Certain solutions were proposed, such as for example by the constructions shown in French patents 2 670 392 and 2 675 391. The applicant, by the ski shown in its French patent N^(o) 2 726 193, has already proposed a ski construction according to which it is envisaged a body on which a platform is attached.

The applicant has also proposed in its patent FR 2 831 829, a platform for raising the bindings for the boot, divided into two longitudinal parts disposed each one directly on the base of the ski connected to each other by a bridge which allows the skier advantageously, according to the turns to be executed, to exert a different pressure on each side from the ski.

The applicant has finally proposed in its not yet published patent application FR 04 07955, another improvement for a sliding board according to which a supplemental element made up of two longitudinal parts which extend longitudinally in an appreciably parallel way and which are connected to each other by at least a transverse connection structure, the supplemental element being attached at least in the central waist zone so that its two longitudinal parts are located laterally in hollow accommodations defined in the body of the ski.

The present invention proposes general-purpose skis including a principal part, known as the body or base, having the shape of an elongated beam with its own distribution of thickness, contour, width and stiffness, and can be of all types of structure, and which is made up of a central zone known as a waist extended toward the front by a front part raised at its end to constitute a tip, and towards the back by a back part terminated by a tail, including at least two supplemental elements extending forwards and/or rearwards, at least on the front part and/or rear, to extend the waist zone, said supplemental elements including two longitudinal side arms disposed laterally constituting at least a dynamic means of recall of the base, which is characterized in that the side arms are connected by a transverse connector made by a piece independent of the side arms.

According to a complementary characteristic, the transverse connector is attached to the side arms.

According to other complementary characteristics, the sliding board includes position adjustment means making it possible to regulate the longitudinal position of the transverse connector, and groove means permitting longitudinal movement of the transverse connector on the side arms, and locking means permitting the locking of the transverse connector relative to the side arms, and this in a selected longitudinal position.

Let us add that the sliding board includes means for indexing the longitudinal position of the transverse connector.

According to an alternative embodiment, the front part of the base includes a longitudinal gap open to front, the aforementioned longitudinal gap separating the two side arms.

According to another embodiment, the two side arms are parallel, or converging toward the front or rear.

Let us note that the sliding board advantageously includes a platform attached to the base intended to support the bindings for the boot.

Let us specify that the supplemental elements can extend on the front part and/or on the rear part of the base.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which will follow with reference to the annexed drawings which are given by way of nonrestrictive examples.

FIGS. 1 to 5 represent a first embodiment of the ski according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a top view.

FIG. 2 is a side view.

FIG. 3 is a prospective view showing the front ski assembly of the cross-piece for connecting the side arms.

FIG. 4 is a prospective view showing the ski, the cross-piece having been put in place.

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view made on the level of the cross-piece.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9 are top views illustrating four alternative embodiments.

FIG. 10 represents by top view an alternative embodiment.

FIGS. 11 and 12 represent two alternate ways of implementing the embodiment of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a detail view schematically showing an example of an indexing means for the longitudinal position of the transverse connector.

FIG. 1 represents a sliding board (1) for snow, and in particular a ski of the Alpine skiing type, with a vertical plane (P) passing through the axis of general symmetry, including a principal part, called the body or base (2), advantageously comprising a platform (3) attached to the base (2) and which extends in the zone from the boot (7), said platform being intended to support the binding elements (4, 5) for a ski boot to the ski.

The invention is applicable to skis of the alpine type, where it finds particular application, but it can also find application in any other type of sliding board for snow such as a ski, a monoski, a snowboard, or the like.

The base (2) has the general shape of an elongated beam of which the front is raised to form a tip (6). Said base has its own thickness distribution, outline, width and stiffness and can be of all types and constructions. Thus, the elongated beam constituting the base (2) can be of any type of design such as those known to date like, for example, the sandwich type, the box type, or the shell type, or even of the type combining shell and lateral field, taken alone or in combination, even mixed and including an assembly of elements and components known in themselves.

Let us add that the base includes a central zone known as of a waist (7) is extended toward the front (AV), by a front part (8) elevated at its end to form the tip (6), and towards the rear (AR), by a rear part (9) ending in a tail (6′).

The front part (8) includes at least two supplemental elements (10) extending towards the front at least on the front part, to extend the zone of the paten, the aforementioned supplemental elements being constituted by two longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b) disposed laterally relative to the plane “P”, namely a left longitudinal side arm (10 a) and a right longitudinal side arm (10 b).

The longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b) can put on the base (2) or be made an integral part of the base, by their integration at the time of the molding of the base, or even resulting from the latter.

Said longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b) are technical elements of reinforcement which in co-operation with the base (2) and cross-piece (11), confer the technical characteristics (rigidity, inflection, torsion, etc.) needed for the usage of the ski, constituting thus at least a dynamic means of recall of the base. Thus, the longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b) are made for example out of plastic such as for example out of thermoplastic material (polyamide, polycarbonate) or thermosetting plastic, for example reinforced with glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramide fibers, etc.

Let us add that the side arms (10 a, 10 b) are longitudinal profiles which are for example projecting relative to the upper surface of the base, and which are attached at least partly on the latter. It follows that the longitudinal side arms could be at least partly embedded in the base (2), or even part of the base (2).

According to the invention, the two side arms (10 a, 10 b), are connected by a transverse connector (11) including a part independent of the side arms. Thus this transverse connector (11) is another part which is attached to the side arms, either in a final way in a determined position, or attached in a manner to permit modifying the longitudinal position of the aforementioned cross-piece to a selected position.

The connection between the cross-piece and side arms can be of any type, such as for example obtained by a mechanical connection, such as a screw or a snap-fit connection, or the like, or attached by welding or joining and for example by hot joining, high frequency heating , or thermal conduction.

It will be noted that the choice of the longitudinal position of the cross-piece effects the behavior of the ski. Thus, at the time of the manufacture of the ski, the manufacturer will be able to choose the position of the cross-piece to confer on the ski the selected characteristics.

According to an alternative embodiment, the ski includes an adjustment means permitting adjustment of the longitudinal position of the transverse connector (11). These means can include means for sliding motion making it possible to move the transverse connector (11) longitudinally on the longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b), namely to displace the cross-piece (11) towards the front and/or towards the rear.

Thus, a cooperating form can be envisaged between the arms and the cross-piece such as that appears more precisely in FIG. 5. Thus, the cross-piece (11) includes for example two side channels (12 a, 12 b) intended to cooperate with the profile constituting the side arms which have a corresponding cross section.

FIGS. 6 to 8, illustrate alternatives according to which the two side arms (10 a, 10 b) are connected at their ends closest to the central zone (7) of the base by a rear connection part (15 a), for the embodiment of FIG. 6, or by a front connection part (15 b) for the embodiment of FIG. 7. Of course the two longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b) could include at the same time a front connection part (15 b) and a rear connection part (15 a), such as that shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 represents another alternate embodiment according to which the platform (3) is extended forwards by the two longitudinal side arms (10 a, 10 b).

According to an alternate embodiment, such as illustrated on FIGS. 10, 11, 12, the front part (8) of the base (2) includes a longitudinal slit (13) open to the front (AV), said longitudinal slit (13) forming thus two front parts for the base (2) respectively (8 a, 8 b). Thus each front part (8 a, 8 b) includes a side arm, respectively (10 a, 10 b), while the two longitudinal side arms are connected by the cross-piece (11).

It will thus be noted that the longitudinal slit (13) thus separates the two side arms (10 a, 10 b).

According to the embodiment illustrated on FIG. 10, the two side arms (10 a, 10 b) are parallel, but it could be different such as illustrated on FIGS. 11 and 12.

According to the alternative of FIG. 11, the two side arms (10 a, 10 b) converge towards the front (AV) while according to the alternative represented with FIG. 12, the two side arms converge towards the central part (7) of the base (2).

One understands that according to these two alternatives, the longitudinal displacement of the cross-piece (11) makes it possible to modify the behavior of the ski (1), by modification of its contour, its characteristics of inflection and of torsion etc. Let us add that the ski (1) includes a locking means for allowing the locking of the transverse connector (11) relative to the side arms (10 a, 10 b).

Let us add that the sliding board (1) for snow can include a means for indexing the longitudinal position of the transverse connector (11). Thus, FIG. 13 is a detail view schematically showing an example of a possible indexing means of the longitudinal position of the transverse connector.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented by way of examples, but it includes also all the technical equivalents like their combinations.

Thus, the rear part (9) of the base (2) could also include longitudinal side arms such as those described for the front part (8). In the same way the longitudinal slit envisaged with front, previously described could be also envisaged with the rear part (9) of the base (2).

In addition the base (2) could include two half-bases separated by a continuous longitudinal slit, the platform (3) ensuring the connection between the two half-bases at the level of the central waist zone (7).

Let us add that the cross section of the side arms (10 a, 10 b) can be of any forms (square, rectangular, semi cylindrical, trapezoidal, triangular, etc.) and of any suitable dimension. 

1. A board for sliding on snow such as a ski, a monoski or a snowboard, with a vertical plane passing through the central axis of the ski, comprising: a base having the form of an elongated beam having its own thickness distribution, contour, width and stiffness, and including a central zone extended forwards by a front part raised at its end to form a tip, and towards the rear by a rear part ending in a tail; at least two supplemental elements extending towards the front and/or towards the rear, at least on the front part and/or rear part to extend the central zone, said supplemental elements including two longitudinal side arms disposed laterally relative to the central plane, said longitudinal side arms constituting at least a dynamic means of recall for the base, the side arms being connected by a transverse connector including a part independent of the side arms.
 2. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 1, wherein the transverse connector is attached to the side arms
 3. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 1, wherein it includes a position adjustment means for adjusting the longitudinal position of the transverse connector.
 4. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 3, further including a slide means for permitting longitudinal displacement of the transverse connector along the side arms.
 5. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 4, further including a means for indexing the longitudinal position of the transverse connector.
 6. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 3, further including a locking means for allowing the locking of the transverse connector relative to the side arms.
 7. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 1, wherein the front part of the base includes a longitudinal slit open to the front, said longitudinal slit separating the two side arms.
 8. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 1, wherein the two side arms are parallel.
 9. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 1, wherein the two side arms are convergent.
 10. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 9, wherein two side arms converge towards the front.
 11. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 9, wherein two side arms converge towards the central zone of the base.
 12. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 1, further including a platform attached to the base to support bindings for a boot.
 13. The board for sliding on snow according to claim 12, wherein the two side arms extend from the platform.
 14. A ski comprising: an elongated body including a front part, a central zone, and a rear part; a pair of side arms extending along and joined to the front part; a cross piece independent from the side arms and being connected to the side arms.
 15. The ski according to claim 14, wherein the side arms form a pair of longitudinally extending profiles and the cross piece has grooves that receive the profiles.
 16. The ski according to claim 15, wherein the cross piece is slidably mounted on the profiles and further including indexing means for indexing to the cross piece to position the cross piece along the side arms.
 17. The ski according to claim 15, wherein the side arms are integrally molded with the body. 